Are indie games like Minecraft and Stray doomed? What the industry’s changing landscape means for small studios
- Neon White, co-created by independent video game developer Ben Esposito, was nominated for ‘Best Indie’ and ‘Best Action’ game at this year’s Game Awards
- Creators like Esposito worry that a golden age for high-quality indie games – like Hong Kong-set Stray – could be threatened as the gaming industry evolves
Video game developer Ben Esposito’s first big break was a quirky game called Donut County, starring a raccoon who dropped small objects and then entire neighbourhoods into a hole in the ground.
His latest, Neon White, is a campy twist on the first-person shooter genre that involves careering across heaven at breakneck speeds to stop a demon invasion.
Drawn in an anime style and with a romantic subplot, it was nominated for “Best Indie” and “Best Action” game at this year’s Game Awards, an Oscars-like event for the video game industry.
“I have really odd taste,” says Esposito, 33. “When I’m picking stuff, it’s about trying to come up with that rare intersection of something that is offbeat and interesting to me but, if presented the right way, it could be financially successful.”